4. “It doesn’t ring a bell.”

ring a bell
= something is familiar, but you can’t completely remember it

His name rings a bell, but I can’t remember what he looks like.

Have you seen that new TV show, the one about the married couple?
~ It doesn’t ring a bell.
= it doesn’t sound familiar, I don’t recognize it

5. “It went in one ear and out the other.”

go in one ear and out the other
= forget something as soon as you hear it, forget something quickly

You are listening to someone speaking, but you are not really listening carefully. When the other person says something, you hear it but you don’t remember it.

He told me is his name, but it went in one ear & out the other.

She won’t remember. Everything you tell her goes in one ear and out the other!

I’m sorry. I didn’t hear what you said. It went in one ear and out the other. I’m very distracted today.

Be careful! This is not a nice thing to say to someone, because you are saying that you aren’t paying attention to him or her!

6. “Can you refresh my memory?”

refresh one’s memory
= help someone remember something

It doesn’t ring a bell. Can you refresh my memory?

I have to read my notes again from the previous meeting to refresh my memory.

Be careful! “Let me refresh your memory” is a common phrase, but it can have a negative meaning. People like to forget bad or negative experiences. Sometimes people say “let me refresh your memory” in an angry way to make someone remember something negative.

7. “I had a senior moment.”

have a senior moment
(usually said by older people)
= a humorous way of saying that you momentarily can’t remember something simple because you are getting older

You can blame forgetting something on your age!

A senior citizen is an older person, usually someone who is 65 or older. (Sixty-five is the official retirement age in many countries.) Senior is often used by itself as a shortened form of senior citizen.

I had a senior moment. I forgot what my new car looked like and I spent 20 minutes looking for it in the parking lot.

I had a senior moment yesterday. I thought my brother was my son.

People like to joke that they are getting old when they are 30 or 40 years old. Sometimes a young person will say “I had a senior moment” or “I’m having a senior moment” as a way to say that they are getting old.

Do you have any fun expressions in your language to say you forget something? Share them in the comments below!

I used to say “I have forgotten” but I read it from your comment that it is not proper to use it, I won’t use it anymore. Thank you so much! The topic is so useful. God bless you more with more wisdom and blessings to continue in helping us speak grammatically correct English!

Thanks for your lesson!
In France we have a similar expression than Spanish one’s when we forgot to take some thing:
Quand on n’a pas de tête, il faut avoir des jambes !
By the way
What do you propose when the “senior moment” become a “permanent senior moment” ?
May be I got Alzheimer illness but I can’t remember !
It’s the best to laugh
My best
Philippe

Oh yes, I hereby to thank you teacher for your unforgettable and constructive effort especially in this lesson about 7 useful English phrases to say when someone forgets something. I insist saying THANK YOU and never slip in your mind to send me the weekly lessons or novelty. Have a nice day teacher!

Hello Melanie,
Thanks to your lesson I guess I know proper and good expressions to use when I’ll lost something. I was accustomed to this expression: I have forgotten.
Is it wrong or right?
Thanks one more time.

At my country, Brazil, is very common people saying: “Deu um branco” like in English
“I’m drawing a blank.”
Use this phrase when you try, but you just can’t remember something, and your mind is blank or empty.

Example: Don’t you remember, Leonardo? You talked to him the at the game last night.
– I’m drawing a blank.

Hello Teacher Melanie thanks for your help. May God bless you for everything you do every day for us.

Here are the traslations for these two sentences you sent:

1) It went in one ear and out the other = “entra por un oido y sale por el otro”, but in my country you use this one when you give advise or you give an order to somebody and this person do no obey or do not t take your words into account…

2) It’s on the tip of my tongue = “lo tengo en la punta de la lengua”

Here is a new one:

“Ahora que dices Burra me acordé de mi comadre” = Now that you say “jenny” I remembered my godmother. The difference is that you use this phrase when somebody says something that remembers you something you haven’t done as yet, something you forgot to do, but you had to do.

This is fantastic, Daniel! Thank you for sharing these great Spanish expressions! I really like the last expression. I wish we had something similar in English. The only similar expression I can think of is “That reminds me, …” but the Spanish expression sounds better!

Thank you , Melanie. You are the best. Phrases are very useful. I may lose my train of thought due to excitement, when the tourists want me to help. That case bugs me but I know how to phrase anymore and These phrases will serve my purpose and that It is on the tip of my tongue means ” dilimin ucunda” in Turkish… I am looking forward to seeing your new phrases.. take care of yourself…

As always with useful lessons, peope who want to learn English need teacher like you.
Thank you Mrs. Melanie.
In my country when someone can’t remember what he/she was saying, we say playfully to him/her that he/she was lying :D

Johnson say:
I’m an old man, older than 70. Sometimes I forget the names of my new friends. “It went in one ear and out the other.” There is an expression in Chinese : “左耳入，右耳出.” It means that” the voice come into the left ear and out the right ear.”
Thank you very much for your lesson. It is funny.

I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson, Johnson! That’s interesting that you have the same expression in Chinese! It’s a small world. Now, whenever you forget the names of your new friends, you can just say “I’m having a senior moment” and everything will be OK!

Thanks again for the tips. That I have, My memory is short, o maybe, I could say, I have teflon in my brain, I do not memorize anyghing .All times I forget my English lessons. Those examples sound like in spanish too.

These two Are my “Bible” : sorry, it slipped my mind, i had a senior moment !????
Fun expression in spanish: el que no tiene cabeza tiene pies – translate as: ” He who hasn’t head has feet ” when you forget something and have go back for it.

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About Melanie

I help English learners move from the classroom into the real world by teaching you real world sentences and helping you understand natural spoken English. I also help you find the best study tips and training techniques that work for you!

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